Former bookkeeper charged with embezzlement

February 27, 2014

MARTINSBURG - A former bookkeeper accused of bilking more than $50,000 from the Hafer Real Estate Group in Martinsburg last year faces several felony charges.

April C. Ruest, 38, of Pastorial Court, Martinsburg, was arraigned Tuesday on multiple felony warrants charging her with one count of embezzlement, one count of fraudulent use of a credit card, six counts of forgery and six counts of uttering.

As of Wednesday, Ruest was being held at Eastern Regional Jail on $350,000 bail.

According to court records, a state trooper met with the owner of the Hafer Real Estate Group and an employee Jan. 3 regarding an embezzlement complaint. Police were told Ruest was hired in October 2012 and became a full-time bookkeeper for the company the following January.

Her duties included managing the finances for the business and all of the financial records and accounts for the company's clients. Ruest also had access to the company's credit and debit card. She was supposed to call or speak to the owner of the company in order to use the account information to pay a bill, records show.

The real estate company manages both individual properties and rental properties, and is responsible for collecting security deposits and rent for each of the properties. Each client's account is separated into two separate accounts. One account is set up as a trust fund for security deposits, and the other account is set up as a trust fund for rental payments. Once placed into the account, the money is not to be used in any way by the company, records show.

Police were given a list of the accounts and money missing from each account, as well as a list of fraudulent purchases made using the company's credit card. The fraudulent charges included 23 individual charges totaling $6,860 for purchases made from Thirty-One Gifts, a business that sells bags, purses and items for the home. Another 44 charges totaling $2,199 were also made for purchases from Amazon, as well as $5,607 in charges for miscellaneous purchases from other businesses. The total amount of fraudulent charges made to the company's credit card was determined to be $14,918, records show.

Police were also provided paperwork showing a monetary loss of $42,302 from client accounts and $1,415 in losses resulting from the company being forced to pay over draft fees.

The total amount of monetary loss suffered by the company from fraudulent credit card purchases, client account fees and overdraft fees was determined to be $58,635. Seven company checks were also allegedly forged and cashed for a total loss of $3,049, records show.

On Jan. 27, police served a search warrant at Ruest's home and several thousand dollars worth of property allegedly purchased by Ruest from Amazon and other online retailers was found.